CID to question nine Lankan criminals in India prior to seeking their repatriation

By Norman Palihawadane

A team of CID investigators will fly to India to question nine Sri Lankan criminals arrested at refugee camp, in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.

The CID said that following the investigation, a decision would be taken to have them repatriated to Sri Lanka to stand trial for various crimes.

The CID sources said that reports on these criminals, and their outstanding cases, had been called for from all local police stations, and a team of investigators would soon leave for India.

Meanwhile, foreign media reports said that the Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested nine Lankans from the special camp for Sri Lankan Tamil, refugees at Tiruchirappalli, over their alleged involvement in drugs and arms smuggling to revive the LTTE.

The agency said that two of the arrested men were in regular touch with a Pakistan-based drug runner, Haji Salim, who often travelled between Dubai, Pakistan and Iran. These men and Salim were working to revive the LTTE, in Sri Lanka and India, the NIA said.

The suspects have been identified as C. Gunashekharan alias Kimbula Ele Guna Pukkudi Kanna, Mohamed Aswin, Sunil Gamini Fonseka alias Kota Gamini, Stanley Kennedy Fernando alias Bumma, Athurugiriye Ladiya, Welle Suranga, Mohamed Asmin and Thileepan.

“The case pertains to activities of a Sri Lankan drug mafia, controlled by C. Gunashekharan and Pushparajah, in association with Haji Salim, drug and arms supplier, based in Pakistan, but operating in India and Sri Lanka, in illegal drugs and arms, for the revival of the LTTE in India and Sri Lanka. This case was registered suo-moto by the NIA on July 8 this year,” an NIA spokesperson said

The Narcotics Control Bureau had earlier registered a case after law enforcement agencies arrested six Sri Lankan nationals and seized 300 kgs of heroin, five AK-47 rifles, and 1,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition off the coast of Vizhinjam, near Thiruvananthapuram, in March 2021.

Later, the Home Ministry had directed the NIA to book a case after it was found that a scheduled offence under the NIA Act, 2008, was committed by the accused.

Last year, Suresh Rajan, a Lankan national, was arrested from Angamaly, near Kochi, in connection with the case from Kerala for his alleged links with Haji Salim.

The NIA probe had also unearthed financial transactions, worth crores of rupees, in Rajan’s name.

“Rajan played a prominent role in drug and arms trafficking, to Sri Lanka, through the backyard of India. He was aided by several personnel who were part of the LTTE,” sources had said.

These nine Lankans are wanted by Sri Lanka Police for a series of crimes.

Nalin Chathuranga also known as Athurugiriye Ladiya is one of the main suspects in the murder of underworld gangster Samayan.

It was revealed that he was closely associating Angoda Lokka, a one-time underworld don.

C. Gunashekharan alias Kimbula Ele Guna is wanted by police for the murder of Sunil Mendis, and drug trafficking.

Pushparaj, also known as Pukkudi Kanna, is wanted for 10 separate homicides that took place in Colombo North.

Welle Suranga is also wanted for around 10 murders in the country.

Sunil Gamini Fonseka alias Kota Gamini is wanted by Sri Lanka Police for several murders, and is also charged with plotting to assassinate Former Senior DIG Priyantha Jayakody who was in charge of the Organized Crimes Prevention Division.

Stanley Kennedy Fernando alias Bumma is a professional hitman and is wanted for multiple crimes by the Sri Lanka Police.